Jazz Snap Rockets' Streak

HOUSTON - Use whatever analytical tool you wish. Trust your eyes, your numbers, or some combination of the two. Either way you slice it, one fundamental truth about the NBA remains: This is a make-or-miss league; a reality reflected in the end result far more often than not.

That cold, hard truth hit the Rockets right between the eyes Wednesday night when the Utah Jazz came to town and brought Houston’s four-game win streak to an abrupt end with a 103-91 victory. The Jazz hit everything in sight, even shots that typically aren’t exactly in their wheelhouse. Houston, meanwhile, languished through too many stretches when it simply couldn’t buy a bucket. The end result: a humbling homecoming following the Rockets’ recent road exploits that had the club entering Wednesday’s showdown on a major high.

“They were hitting shots left and right,” said Marcus Camby, who finished the game with 9 points and 13 rebounds. “(The Jazz were) knocking down 3's, getting out in transition and getting themselves easy buckets, so it was a tough cover for us tonight.”

Indeed, Utah made life miserable for Houston right from the start by showing off the sort of shot-making that seemed to come straight from the Jeff Hornacek school of Rocket-killing. The Jazz drained shots from all over the court, even connecting at a potent clip from long-range despite the fact the 3-ball has been an Achilles heel of sorts for them throughout the year. Utah came into Wednesday’s game averaging fewer 3-point makes than any team in the NBA while sporting a 3-point shooting percentage worse than every other club in the league except Charlotte 鈥